Defending champion Bradley Wiggins took a comfortable victory in the 2010 British Time Trial Championship in South Wales on Sunday, and led in a 1-2-3 for the Sky Pro Cycling team with Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas also on the podium.
Wiggins looked a class apart as he ploughed round the 52.7-kilometre course for the elite men in 1:04:55. He averaged well over 48km/h on the lumpy and unforgiving course and showed just why he is one of the world's best time triallists.
Wiggins beat Froome into second spot by 1:22, while their team-mate Geraint Thomas was a further 13 seconds off the pace and held National 50-mile Champion Michael Hutchinson off by 28 seconds. It was an unusual day for Hutchinson who, as well as missing out on the podium, was also overtaken by his two-minute man, Wiggins.
Outside the top four the nearest other rider was a huge three minutes slower, showing the gulf in class between the contenders and the also-rans.
Wiggins was delighted at winning the jersey again, and it was clear that he and Team Sky were taking the race very seriously. "It's just a privilege for me to able to wear this jersey in events like the Tour and I'll probably be back next year," said Wiggins. "The course was brilliant and was a proper TT course as opposed to the usual dual carriageway courses."
Chris Froome en route to finishing second
Geraint Thomas made it a Sky clean sweep with third place
Also successfully defending her title was Emma Pooley (Cervelo Test Team) in the women’s 33-kilometre event, who held off Julia Shaw (UTAG Yamaha.com) by just 19 seconds, while Wendy Houvenaghel (Bike Chain-Ricci) was third, another eight seconds slower.
For Pooley it was a solid result after another excellent season that has seen her win La Fleche Wallonne, GP Plouay, the Tour de l'Aude and the Giro del Trentino.
"It was a good race and very close at the end," said Pooley. "I would have liked to have gone up the hill a few more times, as I prefer them to the long drags where I have to concentrate more. I’m not too good at concentrating so I lose time trying to keep a steady power on."
Pooley is now en route to the world championships and Commonwealth Games, where she will be a hot favourite for medals.
Shaw's ride to finish second at 19 seconds behind Pooley was a significant improvement on last year, where she was a minute behind over a similar distance. The 44 year old keeps getting better each year and remains the dominating force in women's time trialling on the UK amateur scene.
Emma Pooley
Julia Shaw
Wendy Houvenaghel
In the other categories, Andrew Griffiths (New Heebra Lombarden) won the espoirs title with a time of 42:41, while Conor Dunne (Glendene CC) took home the junior title again with 44:02.
In the masters division Stu Dodd (Drag2zero.co.uk) was the quickest across all categories as well as winning the masters A (30-34yrs) in 43:53. The masters B (35-39) went to David Evans (Royal Dean Forest CC) with 44:46, while Jon Sturman (Activ Cycles) took the masters C (40-44) with 44:02, Kevin Tye (Datateam Allstars) the masters D (45-49) with 44:38, Stephen Whitewick (UTAG Yamaha.com) the masters E (50-54) with 44:30, Roy Brook (Epsom CC) the masters F (55-59) with 48:15, Robert Parry (Royal Dean Forest CC) masters G (60-64) with 48:43, Mike Cotgreave (Westmead Team 88) masters H (65-69) with 50:13, Mick Ives (Team Endura) masters I (70-74) with 51:37 and Jack Brown (a3crg) the masters J (75+) with 54:34.
Dent wins Poole Wheelers 25
Wightlink-Offshore RT rider Dave Dent won the Poole Wheelers’ Harold Cribb Memorial 25-mile event in Dorset on Sunday, clocking 53:26 for the P413 course at Lytchett Matravers.
He was just 11 seconds ahead of his nearest rival, Paul Jones of Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers. But in an event-packed race there could have been a very different winner.
UTAG Yamaha.com rider and pre-race favourite Julian Jenkinson suffered a front wheel puncture as he rode to the start. He borrowed a wheel from a rider who was a non-finisher with a rear wheel puncture, but was ten minutes late starting.
He eventually finished 33rd with 1:02:06, but without his bad luck would've won the event comfortable with 52:06!
There were three DNFs in the field, largely due to the wet roads which caused many riders to be extra cautious, while a brisk easterly wind meant the nine-year-old 51-minute course record of Ray Hughes went unchallenged.
Dennis too good in Southern Counties CU 25
Veteran Steve Dennis (East Grinstead CC) secured a comfortable victory in the Southern Counties CU 25-mile event at Horsham in West Sussex on Sunday.
Dennis, who also won the veterans on standard prize with a plus of 18:55, was more than two minutes ahead of his nearest rival, Martin Williamson, while Rob Pelham took third spot and led in the Lewes Wanderers in the team prize.
It was a reasonably warm day, but slightly breezy and overcast, which caused light showers mid-way through the event, but didn’t cause any serious problems.
Among the prizewinners was juvenile Edmond Bradbury (Epsom CC) who did superbly to clock 58:27 on his first 25-mile event.
Bognor Regis 25 cancelled
Elsewhere in West Sussex, persistent rain just 15 minutes before the start led to the cancellation of the Bognor Regis CC 25-mile event which was due to be staged on Sunday on the P901 course at Walberton.
It was the first time in 65 editions of the popular race that it has been called off.
Wainman wins Scarborough 10
Hull’s Joel Wainman (Team Swift) proved a convincing winner of the Scarborough Paragon CC 10-mile event on the V415 course in East Yorkshire, pushing Planet X rival Nigel Haigh into second spot by 1:15 over the Wold Newton to Burton Fleming course.
He also took a share of the team prize alongside Matthew Lunn and Derek Roe, who were sixth and 12th respectively, while Roe was also the top veteran on standard with a plus of 4:26 and received the Ray Flinton Memorial Trophy.
The promoting club’s Lewis Scott was awarded the John Leadley Memorial Trophy as fastest Scarborough Paragon youngster with 27:07, while team-mate Matthew Graves clocked 33:10 for second.
Also enjoying some good performances was Clifton CC (York), whose 16-year-old Oliver Dixon was top junior with 25:19 and tenth overall, while his team-mates Jessica Bacon and Claire Gilmartin was first and second in the women’s category.
Leamington C&AC 10 goes to Jon Simpkins
Temporary roadworks erected on the morning of the event led to a hasty change of course for the Leamington C&AC 10-mile event at Princethorpe in Warwickshire.
Organiser Steve Walker moved the event to the K11/10D course, which was last used for the Rugby RCC event in June, but it left the event as a 10.2-mile race rather than the fixed distance.
Winners of the two-up Ladies and Gents category were Bryony Costin of Bicester Millennium CC who was paced by Nick Jones (Team Corley Cycles), while for the fourth year in succession the solo event was won by Drag2Zero.com rider Jon Simpkins.
His time of 20:59 was good enough for the win by 26 seconds from Team Milton Keynes’ Jason Gurney. Top woman was the promoting club’s own Alex Grzegorczyk, who was riding his first open time trial in only her first season of competition and clocked 25:02.
Results
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